Filing system for photographic prints and films



Oct. 15, 1940. A. A. AINSWORTH FILING SYSTEM FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS AND FILMS Filed Nov. 19, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J m v R an u Q mm W 5 2, mm I am I v4 E, H A mm "IF J1 & r N I TA 5 K 1 i? mm ATTORNEYS vBY Oct. 15, 1940. 2,218,305

FILING SYSTEM FOR PHOTOGRAPHIQQRINTS AND FILMS A. A. AINSWORTH Filed Nov. 19, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 15, 1940 UNl T ED- STATES frEurorF cEf FILINGSYSTEM FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS AND FILMS Albert A. Ainsworth, Ossinin'g, N. Y. Application November 19, 1937, Serial No; 175,372 I'Claim. (Cl. 12920) This invention relates to filing and storagetives for each individual picture and accordingly,

the corresponding print developedtherefrom is sosmall that an adequate representationofthe object photographed is not thereby obtained.- For this reason, the practice in'the miniature *camera field is to have thepicture obtained printed in the size of the negative for filing or.

reference purposesonly and to print in enlarged form such exposures as are found to be valuable or useful. v

Miniature camera film is customarily prepared in rolls containing asubstantial number of ex-. posures such as forty-eight or the like and indevelopment these rolls are cut up into stripsof,

equal length, making a strip. of four, or six negazs tives. In printing these negatives it is the custom to print an entire strip of pictures from the strip of negatives regardless of the relation off the pictures to each other and then to mount the pictures and negatives as far as possible in suitable storage space for reference as to possible future enlargement. v I

Various types of storage and'filing devices are known which provide for'the storage of the pictures or thefilms but the majority of these poszs sess the disadvantage that excessive handling of the negative is necessary in order to inspect it. A further disadvantage exists in the filing devices heretofore used in that they fail to keep the films in proper condition since they are not 40 dust-proof and do not adequately guard the negatives from damage or deterioration.

Adequate and effective storage means'for photographic negatives are required to possessspecial characteristics not found in ordinary filing 4:, systems. The storage compartment for the individual negative must be comparatively scratch- T less so that insertion or removal of the negative from the storage compartment will not result in damage to it. In addition, it is necessary that to it be possible to inspect the negative without removing it from the storage compartment, thus avoiding the possibility of placing finger prints on the negative or scratching it,

It is an object of this invention to provide filing and storage systems for the classification This arises principally from the fact that and preservation of photographic negativesand: their corresponding photographs. I

It is an object of this invention to provide a storage envelope which will hold a plurality oi; strips of developed film in substantially. dustless 5 and. dry condition.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a storage envelope which may readily be used in relation to the small developed'pictures themselves such that the pictures and neg- 10-- atives may be stored in close proximity and in: predetermined relationto each other.

Another object of the invention is' to provide; mounting and'retaini'ng-means for the developed pictures and the envelope containing a plurality 15' of negatives. Another object is to provide asectionedstorager envelope of' inexpensive and durable construction which will store alarge number of negatives:

in individual compartmentsand which willperago mit the user thereof .to inspect a single negative, without removing the same from its compartment, or disturbingthe other negatives contained; in the envelope.

Another object is to provide'a suitable supple? 2.?

mental covering envelope to enclose and guard" the sectionedenvelo'pe and which is adaptedtoz be mounted in close proximity and predeter mined relation to the developed prints. 1.

'Further objects and advantages will ""appeart-g from the detailed. description and. drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of 'a' mountingdevice; showing a series of strips of developed photographs mounted thereon partially-broken:- away 5 to show the mounting means and showing'the envelope of this invention in relation to the mounting means and the strips of photographs. and its supplemental covering envelope; Fig. 2 is a view in perspective ofthe envelope" 40 of this-invention before pasting, indicating the; method of construction;: Fig. 3 is a view in cross section through the; envelope and its supplemental covering envelope having films contained therein as shown in Fig. 1;:45 i

Fig. 4 is an end view in perspective of the inner end of the envelope of this invention with negaa tives contained therein; and

Fig. 5 is an end viewof an album in which, the envelope of this invention is adapted'to bezso used.

In pursuance ofthe objects of this invention aportion of paper 10 which is preferably transparent is provided. This paper is preferably,

may be called accordion folds l4, H, the width between each fold being equal and being slightly greater than the width of the strip photographic film intended to be stored therein as shown in Fig. 2. On the last fold on one end of this accordion-like construction, provision is made for a small fiap l2 which, when the various folds are brought together, is adapted to engage the first fold l3 on the opposite end; of the paper and be permanently secured thereto by mucilage or other means. When so folded the envelope presents an appearance such as is shown in Fig.

4 of a series of similar folds of paper, making a series of superimposed storage compartments, held together on one side by the connection be-* tween the fiap l2 and the portion l3, said compartment being free to rotate through a'n arc having. its axis at the fold point of the flap l2. The advantage of this construction can readily be seen when it is considered that by grasping therportion'of the envelope where the compartments are held together and manipulating the opposite side where the compartments .are free to move, an individual compartment may be located with the finger and the negative inspected through the transparent cover without the necessity of -removing 'the'negative or of disturbing the other negatives in different compartments inthesame envelope. I

"Tofacilitate' further the easy inspection of the negative with a of manipulation, the ends of each successive compartment of the envelope are progressively longer as shown in the envelope in Fig. 1 so that the end of the com- Qlpletely folded envelope presents an appearance of stepped relationship. This may be very simply provided for by cutting the paper, before folding, on a slight bias. Accordingly, when it is desired to locate one particular compartment, it is a 40.:simplebperation to place a finger on that step which corresponds to the compartment.

- Since, however, this outer'end of the storage envelope receives the most :wear of the entire unit, due to handling and other causes, I pref- ;erably fold the outer end of the paper used to form the envelope before the accordionfolds'are made so that the marginal fold shown at H in Fig. 2 presents to the finger of the user of the envelope a relatively smooth and strong end 50 rather than the brittle sharp end of unfolded paper. prefer not to secureithis fold to the rest of the envelope since it is unnecessary and also since it is desirable to avoid excess mucilage.

It will be noted that the envelope so described saris not intended to be closed at either end, having at one end the raw edge of the paper l6 and at the other the folds l l. Accordingly, the above described envelope and its complement of photographic negatives contained therein, is prefer- 60;;-..ably inserted into a fiapped envelope of suitable 5,;in this supplemental envelope l1 and the flap l9 shape, such as is shown in Fig. 1 at IT, having a pasted closure flap l8 at one end and a larger fi'ap l9 which is preferably ungummed at the other. When the transparent envelope is placed folded over, the negatives are held in a safe, dustless and relatively moisture-proof container from which the transparent container may be readily extracted for inspection without the T .necessity of handling or otherwise injuring the m-ttion of the films without removal therefrom and film proper.

In the construction of my inner storage envelope I prefer to use glassine for the reason that it is suitably transparent to permit inspecfor the further reason that it is swea proof. Other conventional transparent mediums may be used such as Cellophane or ordinary wax paper, but these have the disadvantage of condensing atmospheric moisture or sweating and thereby causing possible injury to the film. The covering or supplemental envelope is preferably made of a more substantial stock of paper and need not be transparent. .The flap I9 is preferably of considerable size in relation to the width and length of the envelope as shown in Fig. 1 in order to insure further the dust-proof property of the envelope- It cane'asilybe seen that this type of storage envelope-may be attached to any suitable back in any suitable manner. I have found it preferable to use a relatively stiff supporting back 26 having mounted thereon a gummed sheet 21 from which a number of hinges have been cut of the type shown at 25 in Fig. 1. Preferably I provide but I have found it desirable, particularly in the mounting of miniature camera films and photographs, incombination with my transparent storage envelope, to mount a series of strips of photographs having, for'example, six photographs to the strip in relation to the negative which is contained in the envelope mounted thereunder. Ac-

cordingly, where a.series. of six strips of photographs is mounted in stepped relationship, one beneath therother, I preferably mount the supplemental envelopehcontaining the storage envelope in the place beneath the-sixth strip of photographs and store'in my storage envelope contained in thissupplemental envelope the six strips of negatives. corresponding to the ,photographsmounted there above.

I further found it convenient to retain the same order in the insertion of the negatives in the t ransparent envelope as is maintained in the stepped relation of the strips. of photographs mounted above the envelope so that if the desired picture appears'at the first position of the second strip in a series; for example, I need only turn over, the storage envelope, withdraw therefromthe transparent container, and locate the second position on the stepped fold of the said container and withdraw therefrom or examine the negative to which the photograph belongs.

My new storage deviceis not limited particularly to miniature camera uses but is adapted for use in all sorts of photographic work, both amateur and professional, and further for use in any field where it is desired to mount a valuable but fragile record in position to be examined with maximum ease and. minimum handling of the record or paper:

While I have illustrated'and described in detail certain preferred forms of my invention, it is to be understood that changes may be made therein and the invention embodied in other structures. I do not, therefore, desire to limit myself to the specific constructions illustrated. but 'intend to cover my invention broadly in whatever single negative or strip thereof, one end of the form its principle may be utilized. said series of. compartments being arranged so I claim: that the individual compartments are in stepped A storage envelope for photographic negatives relation to each other to facilitate easy location comprising a single sheet of material folded to of an individual compartment.

form a. series of superimposed compartments,

each compartment being adapted for storage of a ALBERT -A. AINSWORTH. 

